


Two Fool Things After Each Other

by giselleslash



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-24
Updated: 2011-04-24
Packaged: 2017-10-18 15:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/190323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giselleslash/pseuds/giselleslash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bradley's been spending a lot of time with the guys and Colin's feeling lonely. Also? Somehow Bradley gets a hold of a thesaurus and has a burning need to get Eoin and Katie to make babies together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Fool Things After Each Other

Colin was sort of lonely.

It was a stupid thing, really. He was surrounded by people nearly every second of his waking hours, but yet.

"God they're ridiculous, aren't they? The lot of them." Katie asked as she plopped down on the ground beside Colin.

See. Katie was right there. People everywhere, no reason for Colin to be feeling all lonesome and set aside.

Colin smiled at Katie to indicate that, yes, they were all utterly, fantastically ridiculous. And more than a little adorable as well.

"Tom looks like he could stomp on them all."

"Or eat them," Colin said, his tone thoughtful.

Katie laughed and a little corner of Colin warmed up. He loved Katie's laugh, it was so incongruous. Anyone looking at her would think she'd have this lovely, tinkling sort of laugh. All melodic and refined. But what came out of her mouth usually sounded like a mix between a braying donkey and over-excited nerd. He fucking loved it. It reminded him a bit of Bradley's laugh, although Bradley's fit him perfectly. Bradley looked like the sort that would laugh like a fucking donkey.

He didn't disappoint.

"I just hope he doesn't trip and fall on one of them," Katie said. "Or more than one. Christ, if there's a whole gaggle of them around him when he falls he could take out half the team."

"Good thing Rupe isn't here, he could very well take out the rest."

"Imagine the headlines: Merlin Cast Squashes Entire Football Team, how did this tragedy happen? Could it have been prevented?"

"As it is I think Eoin is traumatizing them with his hair."

Katie laughed again. "Oh god, Eoin and his lovely ponytail. I'm more than a bit fucked off at him though, he won't let me braid his hair. He looks at me like I just asked him to fucking eat puppies, all I want to do is braid his pretty, swishy hair. Maybe put a little varnish on his nails too."

"Might I suggest offering to do it topless. Eoin's quite fond of bras in general and your tits in particular so it could only help."

Katie was quiet beside him like she was actually mulling it over. Colin grinned.

"That could work. Might be a lot easier than getting him pissed, that was my other option," she added.

"Cheaper as well."

"Clever as always, Cols," Katie smiled as she leaned toward him and looked up into his face as she tapped him on the forehead.

Colin hooked his arm through Katie's to keep her close, a little bit of just because and a little bit of trying to stay warm while they watched Bradley, Tom and Eoin get their backsides handed to them by a group of ten year olds.

Katie was quiet after that as she leaned into Colin and alternated between watching the game and paging through a magazine she had in her lap. Colin was thankful for the quiet, he could keep on moping and feeling sorry for himself without interruption. He watched as Bradley's team scored and he whooped with joy, nevermind that three grown men ought to have been able to score repeated goals against a football team consisting of small, small boys. He was sweaty and utterly disgusting and Colin's heart beat erratically inside his chest. To the point of pain almost. He was just filled with undiluted love just then, it rushed through his system like adrenaline and he wanted to kiss Bradley. And never, ever stop.

Katie bumped Colin's shoulder with hers. "You're such a lovesick cow, Morgan." Colin huffed at her, frowned. "Oh good god, put away the frowny face. I think it's sweet, all the sighing and gazing, especially when he looks like a drowned rat. Only love would make that tempting."

"He's quite lovely when he's sweaty." Colin tried for haughty.

"Fuck me with the details. Do not want," Katie laughed. "Keep it in the bedroom, Colin."

"Hey, I was talking about the football and all of that. You're the one with the mind that dove into the gutter."

"Either way, he's disgusting."

Colin was about to say more, in great detail just to gross Katie out the maximum amount, but it was like Bradley heard the call of disgusting and decided it'd be a bloody brilliant idea to fling himself onto Katie.

"McGrath!" he shouted as he tackled her and they both went flying backwards into a pile.

"Geoff a'me. You smell like feet," Katie wailed as Bradley rubbed his face all over her and tried to give her a big, sloppy kiss. Colin laughed and thought Bradley lucky that it seemed Katie was unable to get her knee into his balls, which was usually her go-to for getting Bradley off of her. Colin remembered Bradley being disappointed when he saw her using the same technique on Rupert. And Eoin. And well, Ade too that one time that was really Tom's fault but his balls were too high for her to reach. Bradley had frowned at Colin and said he thought his balls were special, but seeing as how Katie was so free with her knee his balls felt a bit abused now, to be honest. God. Only Bradley. Colin had kissed him then to make up for the lack of ball bashing from Katie and that seemed to cheer him up and it did make his balls feel infinitely better as well. Bradley assured him as much later that night.

Katie must have managed to get some kind of leverage because Bradley finally rolled off of her and into Colin's side. He propped his head up on Colin's thigh and looked up at him, smile goofy with pride. Colin ran his fingers quickly through Bradley's sweaty fringe, allowing himself just that one small touch. Bradley's eyes went fond at the touch and Colin thought he could just hear his name on an exhalation. So sweet it made his heart ache. Then Eoin and Tom and about a dozen sweaty little boys all joined the fray and Colin found himself laughing at the bottom of a pile and he wondered how he could have ever thought himself lonely.

But, suddenly, just like that, the pile of shouting, giggling boys scattered. Disappeared. Ran off to play more and Colin was left to feel a bit adrift on his little piece of grass, even Katie was now pushed out of arm's reach.

He must have looked a bit forlorn because Katie scooted closer and reached out for his hand. "Silly boys," she whispered, like she understood, and Colin nodded.

 

....

 

He knew he shouldn't feel like he did, but that wasn't the point. He missed Bradley. There was no way around that. And he didn't care that it didn't make sense at all - Bradley was _right here_ for fucksake - but he really wasn't, was he? He was always running off with the guys, so happy and cheerful, and Colin's insecurities started pounding about inside him. It's just that Bradley was so ecstatic this year, having all the knights around him to be boyish and rude with. They pushed, shoved and clattered about like they were twelve and just let out of class. Colin thought about how bored Bradley must have been, with only him around, and it made him feel small and lonely. And pathetic as well, he felt like a complete pillock for feeling the way he did. It was needy and fucking stupid and how could he ever tell Bradley that he just wanted him to be around? To pay attention to _him_. It was petulant and completely out of sorts for Colin.

He felt he should be used to that, feeling out of sorts where Bradley was concerned. He'd been making him out of sorts from day one, making faces at him one minute, being endearingly serious and earnest the next, and what was Colin supposed to do but fall in love with the stupid fuck? And from there on out he was out of sorts, out of his mind, and out of his comfort zone. Everything became Bradley and he was scared and elated at the same time and he constantly felt like laughing out loud. A sort of manic, spiraling laugh as he flew apart. Out of control and violently in love with Bradley.

The thing was he just wanted to _know_. To know whether or not Bradley was slowly slipping away from him. Was he hoping to just silently slip away altogether and avoid a loud confrontation and messy break-up? But that wasn't like Bradley at all and Colin felt fucking foolish for thinking so lowly of him, for thinking he could ever be so unkind. Bradley had never lied to him. He knew it like it was a fact; proven and undeniably true. Scientists could study all the words that fell out of Bradley's mouth and every single one that belonged to Colin would be filled with nothing but honesty and kindness and teasing and love and it was that certainty that made Colin crazy. There was no need to worry, nothing that could signal doubt, and Colin hated that he couldn't hold onto that and make his stupid insecurities realize that same conclusion.

And then he'd get irrationally angry at Bradley too, when he'd go traipsing off with the guys, why didn't he _see_ Colin watching him go? Was he really that fucking dim? Yes, Colin liked to keep to himself at times, liked to surround himself in silence, but that never applied to Bradley and he knew that. He fucking _knew_ that. Bradley had no boundaries, everything Colin was was open to him. And then it would go that he was just about to go find Bradley and yell at him for no reason when he'd suddenly just show up in front of him, having bounded up to him like a damn puppy, and he'd set his hands on the arms of Colin's chair, lean into him, and tell him he smelled like rain and jelly babies like it was the best thing Bradley could ever imagine and Colin was left shaking. Not because he was angry any more but because he loved Bradley and the moment was perfect. He'd smile at Colin and ask him how it was he got to be so amazing and there'd be this terrible rush of love. He'd tell Bradley he didn't know, maybe the same way Bradley got to be so lame, and Bradley would laugh that goddamn donkey laugh and Colin would tuck his forehead into the crook of Bradley's neck. Just for a second because he couldn't stop himself, Bradley pulling him in like a magnet.

It was stupid. All of it. And he was going to fucking forget it. He was going to enjoy Bradley having fun and doing the most ridiculous shit and be happy, so fucking happy that he had this stupid, smiling git in his life.

 

....

 

When they got driven back home that night after filming Bradley had somehow managed to get himself into Katie's room with Eoin shoved in front of him. He'd been hollering something about Katie and Eoin being Irish together. It was all a part of an idiotic matchmaking endeavor Bradley had hatched in his head one night in bed. He'd told Colin that Eoin had a crush on Katie, in the strictest confidence, mind (totally disregarding the fact that he went on to tell that same confidence to Rupert and Angel the next day, Tom, Ade and Santiago the next, and Tony and Richard the day after that. Colin was surprised he didn't tell Katie herself. Or better yet, Eoin, as if he didn't already know. Bradley was awful with secrets, it was like he was some sort of secret balloon and if left too long he'd pop and all the secrets would just come rushing out of him like air out of a balloon - the way he rushed through to tell everyone he probably sounded like long, extended balloon fart as well.) So unfortunately for Katie, and even more unfortunately for Eoin, Bradley had taken it upon himself to, 'get some porn like shenanigans going on' between the two of them. Nevermind that Katie had a boyfriend, or that Eoin might not have an actual crush - he could very well have swished his hair in Katie's general direction and Bradley had taken that as a pledge of undying love from Eoin (Bradley claimed Eoin's hair spoke volumes. Colin suspected it was more hair envy on Bradley's part than actual hair communication.)

So Colin ended up sitting cross-legged on their bed waiting for Bradley to stop torturing Katie and Eoin and trying to struggle his way through the French newspaper he had delivered every morning. He was going to learn French by the end of filming if it killed him, dammit.

About twenty minutes after he'd steered Eoin into Katie's room Bradley flung their door open and told Colin that Katie was an ungrateful little harlot that wouldn't know wooing if it smacked her in the face (Colin felt sorry for Katie, he'd actually heard Bradley tell Eoin that afternoon to kick the football at Katie's head to get her attention) and that Eoin was a twat.

Colin looked up from his newspaper. "Is he still denying his love for Katie?"

"Yes," Bradley practically shouted as he sat down on the bed in front of Colin and kicked off his trainers. "It's so obvious and I keep telling him that. What's wrong with him? It's like he doesn't want to populate the world with adorable babies with perfect hair."

"Unbelievable," Colin said, voice as serious as he could make it. "Why would Katie and Eoin not want to pass on their clearly superior hair genes?"

"It's like we share a brain," Bradley said as he crossed his legs as well and looked at Colin. A smile spread across his face and Colin reached out and wiped his hand over Bradley's face as he mouthed, _'idiot'_ at him. Bradley just kept smiling and looked down at the newspaper Colin had folded into a tiny square. "Colin," Bradley said, the word drawn out and fond.

"I'm going to learn French."

"You could, I dunno, talk to people when we're in France. That might be easier than tearing your hair out over a newspaper."

"Well it's been nearly four years now and I haven't managed it yet. And might I add that talking hasn't helped you any either."

Bradley frowned. "I speak perfect French, what are you on about?"

"Adding 'le' and 'la' to English words doesn't actually make them French."

"Really? Huh. Who knew?"

Colin smooshed his hand against Bradley's stupid face again and pushed him backward just because he could, and because it always made Bradley laugh.

"Wanna wrestle, Morgan?" he teased once he righted himself.

"Actual wrestling or your version of wrestling?"

"My version _is_ wrestling."

"I doubt professional wrestlers consider a fight won once they get their mouths on the other one's cock."

"I think they'd have more fun if they did."

Colin laughed. This was all he wanted, Bradley next to him talking nonsense like it was the gospel. He wanted to tell Bradley all kinds of things but he just smiled and said, "I love you," instead.

Bradley moved the newspaper aside and shuffled closer to him, until their knees were touching. Bradley was looking at him, quiet and serious, as he traced his fingers along Colin's face. His touch was soft and Colin leaned into it. "Cols," he whispered. "You know I love you, right?"

And yes, of course he did, it was so obvious. He nodded. "I know."

"Because Katie," Bradley shifted, tangled his fingers up with Colin's and pulled their hands into his lap. "Katie said you seemed lonely and I told her, no, you couldn't be. We're all here and we all love you and I'd never let you be lonely. But then I thought about how quiet you've been lately and it made me sick to my stomach because I thought maybe she was right. And I didn't see it. I see everything about you, Cols."

"Bradley," Colin stopped him, tightened his hold on his hands. "I know you do. It was stupid, what made me.."

"Maudlin?" Bradley interrupted. "Mawkish? Morose?"

"Did somebody read the 'M' section of the thesaurus today?"

"Maybe."

Bradley smiled at him, that crooked, shyly proud one that made him look like a little boy caught doing something naughty that he was awfully happy to have done at all, and Colin smiled back. Kissed those lips and told him he was a gorgeous thing.

"Don't be lonely, Cols," Bradley whispered against his lips. "The thought of it makes me ache."

"I know," Colin said as he petted the sides of Bradley's face and kept him close. "I know." Bradley nosed at Colin's cheek and Colin slipped his fingers into Bradley's hair. "It was all so silly, like I said. I just see you with the guys and you're so happy, so you. All Bradley and laddish and I feel apart from that somehow, like I don't give that to you."

"Of course you're apart from all of that." Bradley pulled back and looked at him. "They're just the lads, a bit of fun and a laugh, and it's all surface. But with you? God, Cols, you've got to know how much more it is with you. With _us_."

Colin laid his hand on Bradley's chest. "God, I love your heart." Bradley grinned at him and opened his mouth to say something obviously filthy and highly immature. "Yeah, yeah, and all your naughty bits too," Colin added with a laugh. Bradley laughed as well and threw himself at Colin. They got into a right tussle and Bradley ended up with Colin's elbow in his gut but they fell laughing against each other, their lips kissing around the laughter.

The kisses trailed off and Colin found himself looking at Bradley as he concentrated on carding his fingers through Colin's hair. "I'll stop messing about with the guys so much, playing football and all of that," Bradley promised him.

"Oh god no, don't do that. I love watching the lot of you, you entertain the rest of us with your lowbrow humor and utter stupidity."

"Well I'm glad you find me pleasing and amusing," Bradley said as he tweaked Colin's hair. Colin smacked him on the arm but followed it with a kiss. "You know I would though, don't you?" Bradley asked quietly. "Do anything for you. I'm sort of mad over you, if you must know."

Colin slipped his hand up under the back of Bradley's t-shirt, his skin soft and warm and beautifully familiar. He rubbed small, slow circles onto Bradley's lower back. "I do. And same here, about being mad over you and doing anything for you and all that. I'm even considering taking up football." Bradley burst out laughing and a puff of air swept across Colin's face. "Well, you needn't be insulting about it. I can play football," Colin frowned.

"But I prefer you all in one piece. You'll do yourself an injury, love." Bradley laughed.

Colin kept frowning. "See if I try to do anything nice or thoughtful for you again, you condescending twat."

Bradley stupid smile stayed on his face as he wrapped his arms around Colin and hugged him until he could barely breathe. "Ahh," Bradley grunted as he squeezed harder and dragged Colin onto his chest. "You love me, you silly bastard."

"Not right now I don't. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder why I wanted to spend any amount of time with you at all."

"Fuck knows. Were you maybe drunk, Cols?"

"Must have been off my tit." Colin agreed.

"Drunk with love, obviously."

"And probably some mood altering pills of some sort."

Bradley didn't bother with a comeback, he just held onto Colin's hips and rolled them both across the bed in a tangle of limbs, his face pressed against Colin's neck and his laughter muffled. Colin wrapped his legs around Bradley's waist and laughed with him, his chest filled with an unbelievable mass of love. Fucking Bradley.

He'd been daft to think Bradley'd be anything less his stupid, fucking wonderful self.

Although Colin was pretty well certain he'd be fucking brilliant at football, no matter what Bradley said.

 

~End


End file.
